"Normally, female cabin crew can't handle a fat guy, especially if he's drunk," Eva Chan, a spokeswoman for the airline, explained with admirable candour, "but because of the training, she can handle it quite easily." So which Bruce Lee-esque tactics might we see Hong Kong's cabin crew employing? Mark Phillips, director of the London Wing Chun Academy, guides us through some basic moves.

1 A flight attendant could use the chi sau ("sticky hands") technique to prevent a passenger from hitting him. "The idea," Phillips explains, "is to block and control a person's arms by linking your arms with theirs."

2 Next, split the assailant's arms. Here, the flight attendant raises his left arm, and makes contact with his opponent's chest, while holding back the arm with his right hand.

3 The flight attendant now traps the assailant's arms, leaving his right arm free to land a restraining punch. Though, as Phillips points out, "It wouldn't be a very good idea for a cabin crew member to hit a passenger."